There’s only one thing worse than breaking down in the UK without a rescue recovery policy in place – and that’s your car breaking down without cover outside the UK.

It happens and, if you are on mainland Europe, suddenly the challenge of getting your vehicle home across The Channel can look daunting in the extreme.

With European cover, the problem becomes manageable not disastrous, and for holidaymakers even less traumatic if you take the precaution of insuring for European Onward Travel.

The breakdown rescue provider’s staff – available by phone 24/7 and fluent in the language of the country – take the strain of finding a repairer, and, if necessary, sourcing mergency overnight bed-and-breakfasting and appropriate alternative transport, depending on your circumstances and location.

With European Onward Travel cover as well you can rest assured that a long-awaited family holiday will not lie in ruins if you suffer vehicle failure.

European cover can be purchased as annual cover, or for shorter periods, or for one specific trip, and even on a day total basis. Annual European cover usually includes your UK motoring as well. One word of caution: if you are journeying in Europe outside the EU you may have to make special arrangements with the provider.

Another point to note: if you fancy taking your vintage Riley to the Continent you will need to check what age restrictions the breakdown recovery provider might impose. The same goes for the age of any trailer or caravan you might want to tow. Breakdown rescue providers readily accept trailers and caravans as part of their liability – and the nature of holidays abroad, with full security for your vehicle difficult to ensure, means that theft and attempted theft of vehicles and/or contents are also properly considered.

Different providers adopt different approaches of course. It pays to take your time in researching the different offers. With so much at stake if you were to break down abroad, securing the right back-up to get you moving again has at least as much priority as finding the cheapest deal. Check the providers listed on this site for detailed information.